Shondell Jacobs, a 34-year-old food vendor, was yesterday granted $80,000 bail when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court accused of stealing and cashing a National Insurance Scheme (NIS) cash voucher belonging to another woman.
The mother of eight of 129 Lamaha Springs pleaded not guilty to the charges of simple larceny and obtaining money by false pretence when Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson read them to her.
She denied that she stole a NIS voucher, two identification cards and an ATM card valued $500, property of Marvin and Roanna Royce, on May 16.
Jacobs also denied that she, with intent to defraud, obtained from the Campbellville Post Office $9,940 by means of issuing the clerk an NIS voucher belonging to Roanna Royce, which she said that she was authorized to cash, knowing same to be false.
Her lawyer Patrice Henry applied for bail for her on the grounds that she was a mother of eight.
Henry stated that Jacobs had an unblemished record in the court and since she was given an opportunity to enter a plea to the charges, she should be granted bail. He also said that his client posed no risk of flight.
Marvin Royce, who was also present in court, stated that on the day in question he had gone into Survival Supermarket to purchase some items. He said he had forgotten his bag there and returned the following day to enquire whether it was still there. He said he was told that Jacobs, who was a security guard, had recovered it and was instructed to place the bag in a safe place.
He said he immediately made a report to the police station stating that Jacobs was not there at that time. He said that he had even made checks at the Campbellville Post Office to find out whether the voucher was cashed. He said that she had not cashed it at that time.
Royce went on to say that when he returned to the supermarket he was told that Jacobs had enquired from several members of the staff if they knew how to cash the voucher.
He further stated that Jacobs had also withdrawn about $60,000 from his bank account and that she still had his and his wife’s identification cards and the ATM card. He said the PIN for his ATM card was his date of birth and it had been written on a piece of paper that was also stolen.
He said that he had recovered his driver’s licence and other documents that were in the bag.
Royce said the clerk at the Post Office had said that Jacobs told her she was authorized to cash the voucher since Roanna Royce was sick.
He said she even presented his wife’s identification card as proof of what she was saying.
Henry then stated that those reports were all “hearsay” and should not deter the magistrate from granting his client bail.
The prosecution made no objection to the bail application and it was subsequently granted in the sum of $80,000. The magistrate also ordered that the case be transferred to Court Three for June 11.
